


If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On

by ChildofMyth



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Character Study, Cutting, F/M, Gustafa gives averyone nicknames AU, Multi, Past Abuse, Pet Names, accidental suicide attempt, and her past, i love Nami and just wanted to get into her head, slight mentions of muffy/griffin later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-03-18 00:58:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13670949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildofMyth/pseuds/ChildofMyth
Summary: Forget-Me-Not Valley has never changed, has never differed, and has always had the same people day in and day out. Gustafa sang of nature and love on these quiet days.Nothing ever changed.Until a broken soul with hair of fire comes to town, whose sad song clings to Gustafa's lips. What does one do when there is change in still waters?





	1. Cold as a Winter Storm

_Ding..._

_Ding..._

_Ding..._

Blankets stirred in the dark room of the Inn, as a small asian woman sat up to shake her husband.

"Tim. Tim, dear, there's someone at the counter." She whispered, as the ding of the bell in the foyer resonated through their room once more.

Tim let out a sigh through his nose, fumbling for the clock on his nightstand. "Ruby, it's two in the morning."

"That's not going to stop a weary traveler." Ruby stated, flipping back over and snuggling up with an air of finality.

Tim rose from his sheets, knowing there was no point in arguing further. In a dirty tank top and shorts, the Asian man made his way to the door of his room, shivering against the slight cold that invaded the old building.

Tim stepped through his door to the foyer, rubbing his eyes free from sleep. The dinging of the bell halted.

"Welcome to the Inner Inn, my name is Tim." The owner spoke as he slid behind the front desk. He finally took his hand from his eyes and looked up. Tim's eyes widened.

In front of his desk stood a red haired woman in shorts and an orange tank-top. She wore a simple plaid button up over her clothes, but nothing she wore had saved her from the snowstorm raging outside. She was absolutely drenched, clumps of snow still hanging in the strands of her hair; she shivered violently. Her eyes slid up from the desk to regard Tim, striking blue and calm despite her situation.

"How may I help you..." Tim mumbled the rest of his greeting, shocked and unsure how to react.

Without a word, the girl reached into her knapsack and pushed a few bills onto the desk top. They were damp when Tim picked them up.

"Is this enough to stay for a few nights?" Her voice was quiet, underlayed with strength, not the timidness that typically came to the quiet.

Tim looked at the cash. It wasn't. He resolved to pay the little remaining.

"Yes it is ma'am. Here is your key. Your room is up the stairs and to the left." She took the key with a shaking, pale hand. Tim blinked. The light wasn't playing tricks on him, her knuckles were scarred over. He didn't say anything.

"To your right is the kitchen, where my wife Ruby cooks and provides breakfast, lunch, and dinners for those staying. You may come in and sit to be served." Tim stated, waving his hand in the direction of the room.

The girl didn't even glance over. "No thank you."

Tim paused in surprise before looking down. "I'll just need you to sign your name here and you can be on your way."

Tim watched her pick up the pen on the desk, not even chained down. Everyone in this valley was too friendly to steal the Inn pens.

She signed her name easily and placed the pen back down. Then the drenched girl turned and left, climbing up the stairs to her room, without as much as a goodbye.

Tim looked down at the paper, reading the name out loud.

"Nami Haight."

-~-

In the morning, when Nami opened her door at 11 in the afternoon, she found a platter in front of her room. There was a note attached.

'Tim told me that you didn't want to come down to eat, but if you really were in the state he said you were, I couldn't leave you without a meal. I hope you'll forgive me, but years of being a doting mother don't fade easily. I wish you well, dear. -Ruby'

Nami's door shut again, the platter disappearing inside with her.

 


	2. A Melody as Sweet as Spring Can Melt Our Snow

Nami closed the front door to the Inner Inn behind her, slipping her hands into her pockets. The snowstorm had dispersed hours ago, leaving a powdery blanket on the ground, and an ability to see Forget-Me-Not Valley without the suffocating white haze before her eyes.

She decided it was time to explore, however it hadn't been before Ruby made sure to give her a worn but warm sweater and pants. She decides she should have brought clothes that weren't tanktops or shorts in the dead of winter.

Nami shrugs, too late now. At least Ruby was sweet enough to lend her some.

The redhead takes to her quiet meandering of the town, merely glancing towards the farm across the river, and instead deciding on the meadow beside it. She picks no flowers, considering there are none beneath the frozen powder. But she knows there has to be a garden here or some flowers. Nobody sets up a bench set in the middle of a barren hill.

Nami glances to the waterfall but decides against it, opting instead for the Blue Bar. She likes the bartender instantly, finding his silence comforting. She orders no drink, she has no more money, but sits at the bar nonetheless, instead sipping at the glass of water Griffin places in front of her.

A blonde woman sweeps into the bar from the back room, filling the silence with her happy aura. Nami can't stand it after a few minutes. She leaves.

The beach is where she finds herself next, inevitably. She sighs heavily as the waves roll on, cold air nipping at her nose and reddening her cheeks. There wasn't much in this little town. Maybe she would leave sooner than she intended. Though the ocean view was nice, she supposed.

Nami loses track of time as she stares at the waves, just listening to the sound of the ocean. When she finally looks up, the sun is setting, and the song of the sea isn't the only song she's been listening to.

It's soft and blends nearly perfectly with the calm ocean itself, each cord pulled masterfully and with a peace Nami had never known before. She slowly turned around to find the musician.

They sat against the nearby tree with their back to her, partly obstructed by the wood. What Nami could see, was a big green hat, and a lanky hand moving easily up and down the neck of a lute. She slowly climbed to her feet and came closer and closer, until she sat down again opposite to the musician against the same tree.

The music never halted, but a voice joined it, masculine in nature. There was a smile in his voice. "You're new to the valley."

Nami said nothing, closing her eyes to listen to his calming melody.

"Name's Gustafa." He spoke again, voice swaying with the tune he carried. He drew silent again and simply played, what Nami could only describe as, an ode to spring. The tune felt warm and green and  _alive._

"Why are you playing in the snow?"

Again Gustafa failed to even falter his movements, instead he smiled. Nami could practically feel it through the tree that separated them.

"I play for those who need something to listen to, even if they don't realize it themselves."

Nami opened her eyes, staring up at the bare branches above her. No, they weren't bare. The hints of flower buds that peppered the branches said otherwise.

She smiled.

She had been wrong.

It was an ode to those growing through the harshness of the world around them.

It was a song meant for her, whether Gustafa knew it or not.

 


	3. First Impressions Are Not Always the Most Accurate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Alternatively: Don't You Take That Tone With Me Young Lady)

"Hey there, Cool Cat, headed down to Blue Bar. Lookin to tag along?" Gustafa had started calling her that shortly after their first meeting. When she asked him why, he said that he always gave people nicknames. And that she hadn't told him her actual name.

She didn't reply, taking a strange liking to her new nickname.

Nami had been standing on the bridge, looking at the water when the hippie walked up the path to her right, calling out to her. She glanced to him quietly, then back to the river.

"The girl there is too loud." She stated plainly, caging her torso within her arms.

Gustafa blinked for a moment before raising an eyebrow above his purple tinted shades. "You mean, Muffler?" He chuckled. "Nah, she's as loud as her heart, Cool Cat."

Nami frowned, turning to the musician with a look of confusion. "She sounds like a preppy highschool bi--."

"Don't."

Nami stopped, staring at the man. His big hat was tipped down, edge hiding his eyes completely. The air felt cold, much colder than what the winter caused; nothing stirred.

Gustafa shook his head and looked back up at Nami, a small half-hearted smile on his lips. "It's not nice to stereotype people right off the bat in this valley, Cool Cat. Muffler has been through potholes too many times. But she always comes out shining." He sighs, smile widening again. "I think she would like you. Wouldn't you wanna meet her actually, at least once?"

Nami can feel her pulse pounding in her ear, still trying to come back down from the nerve-racking tension. She showed none of her fear outwardly. The redhead waved Gustafa off.

"Maybe in a few minutes."

He simply tipped his head in a nod and meandered towards the bar.

Nami waited for her pulse to slow again. He didn't even raise his voice, she shouldn't be reacting this way. But it was the tone, the warning on his tongue that set her on edge. Her nails dug into the wood railing of the bridge.

He wasn't going to hit her. But that didn't stop her from thinking he might.

She needed to get drunk. She needed to not think. She headed for the bar.

Maybe this 'Muffler' would be alright.

Hopefully she was at least decent at serving drinks.

  
  


 


	4. Nothing Should Be Done in a Self Indulgent Haze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Tw: self-harm / cutting, accidental suicide attempt)

'Muffler' turned out to be Muffy, the bartender assistant, and she also turned out to be not as loud as Nami had initially thought. She laughed along with patrons and shared words, but she was never louder than necessary. Nami felt bad now.

Not bad enough to not order a drink and listen to their words though.

The traveler was working a Stone Oil when the blonde actually stopped in front of her and smiled. "Darlin' I'm sorry, but I do believe I haven't introduced myself and my boss here." Her voice held the hint of a southern drawl.

"My name is M-." "Muffy." Nami answered, stonefaced.

The redhead vaguely motioned at the other patrons to her right. "I listen. I'm Nami. That's Griffin." She paused before pointing to the short, dusty twins that sat a stool away from her. "And they're Kelsey and Melrick... I think."

Muffy stood silent for only a moment before making a professional recovery. She smiled wide and nodded as Nami tipped her glass back to down it all. "I'd reckon you're right, you do listen quite well."

The redhead tapped the glass politely and Muffy took it to be refilled. She paused and leaned across the counter. "It's Kassey and Patrick, actually. You were very close though."

That drew a smile from Nami, and Muffy winked back. Gustafa smiled secretly at his spot at the other end of the counter.

Nami didn't even blink before glass shattered against the floor. The redhead shot from her seat, trapping herself against the wall in less than a second.

A fierce groan filled the small bar, followed by harsh cursing that all streamed from Griffin. Muffy had her hands out, shoulders down in a completely submissive stance.  _Pacifying even_.

And endless stream of 'I'm sorry's slipped from her lips, voice morphing to match Nami's own. Her head filled with flashes of memories, of curses, and 'im sorry's, and!!!

Nami was hyperventilating. One of the twins had ran out of the door, did it matter which one? Griffin was reaching towards Muffy. She didn't move, why didn't she move why didn't she!!!

"NO!!"

Nami's voice filled the bar that had gone silent just as she decided to scream. Griffin had his hand on Muffy's shoulder, supporting himself up as he lifted his foot. Glass stuck out from his boot, belonging to the cup Muffy had accidentally dropped. But everyone had since turned to stare at her. Nami froze.

The door swung open.

"Would you believe our luck? Dr. Hardy was just about to leave too!" The twin had returned, followed closely by a bald man, carrying a medical bag.

Nami was out the door before it had even closed.

Nami's room door slammed shut as soon as she was inside, leaving a moment between her entering and it closing that allowed her to throw herself onto her bed.

She fumbled for it, where was it, it had to be here, but she knew it was too late. No amount of coping would get her down from this insufferable buzzed panic attack. Nami gave up, laying flat on the bed instead and staring at the ceiling, trying to make the memories go away.

Her eyes burned, and she hadn't realized she had been crying until now.

She wanted to die. This would never stop, she'd never get better, these attacks would just get worse and worse! She knew it, she was too broken to be fixed!

Her thighs felt hot, and when she looked red filled her vision. When did the razor even find its way into her grasp? When had she slashed these five marks across her thighs in an attempt to make her thoughts go away?

Why had she cut so deep?

Nami had flung away her razor and was frantically patting at her bloody thighs when there was a knock at her door.

Ruby's muffled voice came through. "Nami, dear? Gustafa called and said something happened at the bar. He asked me to check on you. I don't mean to invade, but are you alright?"

Nami had no answer, she had no thoughts, she was going to die.

A harsh, tear-choked sound escaped her throat, panic evident in her tone. Her vision was blacking out.

Nami heard a soft 'Oh dear', and then another, louder "Nami?"

Nami screamed.

"RUBY HELP!!"

The next thing Nami can remember is Tim breaking down her door, and Ruby's scream.

-~-

When she opened her eyes again, Nami was in an unfamiliar queen-sized bed.

The door to the room opened.

 


	5. Gossiping Should Be A Sin

A bald man walked through the door. He wore white and hefted a medical bag, and though he seemed hard and professional, upon closer inspection he wore striped shorts under his doctors coat and flip flops. One of his eyes was replaced with a cold iron ball.

"Good morning, Nami. Glad to have you back with the conscious." He didn't look glad.

The redhead said nothing, she simply glanced around trying to hide her underlying panic. He had to have seen her scars.

The doctor remained undetered, sitting at the edge of the bed and putting on a pair of glasses. The lens was missing over the metal eye.

"My name is Paddock Hardy, but everyone just calls me Dr. Hardy here." He had a large scar running across his face, right over where the metal eye was. Nami wonders how he got it.

His hand moved towards the sheets, then halted, single eye flicking to meet Nami's two. "May I take a look to see how the bandages have held up?"

Nami blinked in suprise and quickly pulled the sheets down her legs, discovering her shorts pulled up to show the bandages that wrapped around her thighs. Hardy regarded them carefully before nodding.

"They seem to be doing just fine, now..." He trailed off, rustling around in his bag until he pulled out a small jar. He handed it to Nami. "This should help your scars to fade away, just apply it like sunblock in the morning and at night. Those scars should fade quickly."

Nami's face flushed red in embarrassment at her damage. Dr. Hardy snapped his bag shut, standing up. "Tim and Ruby have taken the liberty of paying your bill." Nami looked up in surprise.

"Why?"

Dr. Hardy stopped and looked to the girl. He sighed. "Because, they seem to care about you. They have always had a tendancy to become attached to their guests." The bald man paused and shook his head before looking back at Nami.

"In this town, we stick together. If you can't trust the people that keep your town alive, who can you trust? We depend on people here... especially to listen." The doctor's eye softened. "There are always people here to listen if you have to... talk." His eye flicked to Nami's thighs. She wrapped her arms around her legs defensively, tipping her head down.

Hardy sighs again and turns to leave.

"Please don't tell anyone."

He stops in the doorway, glancing back at Nami. She's looking up at him again.

"I don't need the gossip. Please." She mutters, eyes downcast again.

Dr. Hardy doesn't move for a moment, then smirks.

"It's a good thing I don't gossip then, isn't it?"

The door closes behind him.

 


End file.
